How We Rescued Lagos, Warri Ports From Hoodlums Attack – Dockworkers’ President

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Dockworkers Branch President Comrade Ibrahim Tajudeen Ohize has revealed how members of the union rescued three seaports from the hands of suspected hoodlums who attempted to wreak havoc on government assets and vessels at berth .

Recall that hoodlums had latched on the recent #EndSARS protest to unleash mayhem on public and private assets across the nation.

Comrade Ohize who lauded efforts put in place by the President General of the union,Comrade Adewale Adeyanju for the timely intervention through intelligence reports , disclosed that there were several attempts by irate mobs to disrupt port operations , even before the attack on Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA’s), Corporate headquarters at Marina , Lagos.

The Branch President reiterated that hoodlums made several attempts to gain access into the Warri, Apapa and Tin Can Ports but for the timely intervention by members of the Union , men of the Nigeria Customs Service and Port Police officers saved the day from any form of vandal or looting of cargoes at the ports.

 

Ohize, stressed that the directive from the union’s boss to reposition workers against attack on government assets was strategic , as members were deployed within and outside the port premises in furtherance to avert what would have seen or heard as colossal loss of national assets.

He noted also that members at the Warri Port were placed on red alert due to grassroot information from the President General.

According to him, the marching order by the Union’s boss to resist attempt paid off, even as the angry mobs were engaged at various locations on some of the seaports aforementioned.

He said the incident took place a day before the torching of the headquarters building of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Marina, Lagos, pointing out:”Comrade Adeyanju instructed dockworkers to protect their place of work and not allow anyone to infiltrate the port or unleash mayhem on government assets.

“The PG had gotten inkling of the assault hence the call to bolt up the port. Some freight forwarders also used the occasion to demand for some policy amendments in the cargo clearing process at the port.

“The recent incident that just happened during the #EndSARS protest, if not for the grace of God and the PG, they would have burnt the port down because when the story came in, he called me and asked me to tell all my men to protect where they are working and they did.

“He told me that I should inform my members that they should not allow them to enter and some of my boys stood at the gate very early in the morning.

“When they wanted to come in, with the help of the boys, police and customs officers, we were able to move them out.

“Nobody expected them to come in because they were at the round about singing and after sometimes, they started coming toward the ports.

“The mobs attempted these three ports first before that place (NPA building in Marina). The governmemt would not know what our PG did now until they start heading stories from people,” Ohize explained.

 

He maintained that the peace and harmony that coexist in the last four years must not be distrupted by any form of protest or agitation from any quarters adding that the nation’s seaports provide means of livelihood for millions of Nigerians.